Little Wonders
by PhilosopheRock
Summary: Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders--these twists and turns of fate. Time falls away, but these small hours still remain. All of my regret will wash away somehow, but I can not forget the way I feel right now. Theodore Nott/OC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone. This fanfiction is based off a next generation roleplay that I was involved with for over a year. The main story takes place almost a decade after the final fall of Voldemort, and it involves my character Theodore Nott (though he's really not mine, but JK Rowling's, and I just developed him as an adult) and my friend Amanda's original character Mariana Kimboll. Also an important character will be Ghaleon, who belongs to my friend Steven. The storyline is pretty much the same as the roleplay was, so I give the three of us credit for the plot, even though I have tweaked a few things for the sake of the story. ** **The title and description lyrics are © Rob Thomas and the world of Harry Potter is © JK Rowling. Thanks for reading, and please please please review, especially when the story gets going.  
**

September 1, 2019.

It was a beautiful September day, with a light breeze rustling through the warm autumn air. The sky had never seemed so blue or the grass so green, yet the leaves were already starting to gain more color. It was subtle as in any early fall, but there was no denying that the foliage was soon to be red, gold and orange, and not long after than gone altogether. There could never be more perfect words to describe the day than just that—perfect.

"Teddy! Wait up!" A mother's call rang through the crowds gathered at Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station in London, the area around the train filled with children boarding and families waiting to see their Hogwarts students off. Her young boy was dashing through the people, pushing a trolley stacked with his trunks and an owl cage at the top, his light brown hair hanging just above soft, russet colored eyes. He couldn't have been any older than eleven, and it was clear that it was going to be his first time on the Hogwarts express by the sheer excitement clear in his eyes. Not even the happiest returning students' anticipation could match this boy's, who found his own special reasons in his heart for longing to see the castle—the place where his parents had met and fell in love, and the place his father had fought so hard to defend. Finally, he would be going there himself, where he could walk around the lake and roam through the corridors (and sneak around at night) he had heard so much about.

Turning, he glanced back at his mother, who was making her way toward him as quickly as she could. "Hurry up, Mum!" he called out, his wide, anxious smile never fading. She looked a little worried as she approached him after he had darted ahead on his own, but despite her worry she seemed just as excited as her son. She looked to be about forty, maybe in her late thirties, and there were faint wrinkles that barely reached out from her blue eyes and bordered her smile. A typical witch's hat sat atop her head over her medium length blonde hair, and her deep red robes perfectly matched the ring she wore on her left finger. A diamond was set on the band between two rubies, and the stones sparkled as the light hit them.

Catching up to the boy, she grabbed a hold of his arm so as to keep him close. "Hold on there, Teddy! It's not like I'm not going to get on the train. Plus we've got plenty of time before it leaves." A warm smile spread across her lips as they handled their luggage and boarded the train, Teddy starting to seek out a compartment. "Teddy, I'm going to let you go find somewhere to sit on your own, okay? It'll be easier for you to make friends without me, since most kids don't have their parents with them." She squeezed his shoulder and watched as he nodded excitedly and started down the aisle before she started to make her own way to a compartment at the front of the train. It had been nearly twelve years since she had last seen the school, and twelve years since she last saw him…

"Mariana!" At the sound of her name, the woman looked up from her seat in the compartment to see a very familiar face. The Charms professor and Head of Hufflepuff House, Dashiell Stebbins, was grinning ear to ear to see his old friend.

"Dashiell! Oh, it's so good to see you again!" She jumped up to embrace him and he pulled her into a firm hug. It had been several years since she had last seen him, but he never changed at all. Always the loyal, kind-hearted one, he was.

"I've been so excited about this year and your coming back to teach Divination again. Not that the last one wasn't… Well, competent, but it just wasn't the same. Your boy's starting school this year, isn't he?" He took his seat beside her, waiting to hear all she had to tell.

"Yes, Teddy's going to start his first year. He turned eleven in early August. And I'm so excited about coming back after so long. I can't wait to see how far the school has come since my last year there." She paused, thinking about everything that had happened that fateful year. "Oh, you'll have to introduce me to the staff I haven't met yet."

"Certainly. There are a few professors on the train today. Callum Sloper's here—he's been the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for eleven years now. And things are so different than twelve years ago. Really, it's such a great place to be now." He dropped his gaze, unwilling to allow himself to think about what had happened. "Hey, can I go see Teddy? I'm surprised you're not with him."

"Oh, it would be so embarrassing for him to have to sit with his mother when everyone else doesn't have their parents with them. But of course you can go see him. I think he'd really like to see you again, but I don't know where he's sitting."

Stebbins stood up, holding out his hand to her like a gentleman. "Then we'll go look for him, milady. It would be a good time for a round to make sure the Slytherins are playing nice," he joked making his way out into the aisle as he glanced in the compartments nonchalantly, searching for Teddy Nott. He hadn't seen the boy since he was seven, but he knew those eyes very well.

Sure enough, Teddy was sitting in a compartment with four other boys, all of them first years. They had introduced themselves as Atticus Wilkes, Nicanor Flint, Leo Vaisley, and Drystan Avery, and all followed their introduction with a brief description of their family histories that indicated their blood status—of course, all of them were purebloods. How Teddy came to sit with them doesn't matter, but things turned sour the moment he admitted that he was a half-blood.

"A half-blood? Hahaha, look what we've got here, guys!" taunted Vaisley. "So what's the combination, half-blood? A Mudblood and a blood traitor? Two half-bloods?"

"My mum is a Muggle born and my dad was a pureblood, and don't call my mum that word!" shouted Teddy, growing irritated with the arrogance of the four boys.

"What're you going to do? What's your old blood traitor dad's name anyway? Nott?"

"Say, Nott… That's a damn good family there, guys," piped in Avery. "My grandfather and this kid's grandfather fought side by side in the first and second wars, if he is who I think he is."

Mariana froze, just outside the compartment as she listened to the conversation. _Yeah, who was your dad, Teddy?_ With those words, she pondered the question as well, allowing all of the memories to come flooding back to her, complete with the joy, the thrills, the guilt and the pain...


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Here's chapter one, where the main story gets going! It's sort of boring, even for me writing it. However, just trust me in that there will be a very interesting story going on, and once everything starts to happen it becomes awesome. I absolutely love the story of these characters, which is why I have to write this. Still, the most important thing about this chapter is the introduction of the characters and getting the backgrounds and basic personalities across. The world of Harry Potter is © JK Rowling, as always.**

September 24, 2006.

A noisy explosion echoed through the entrance hall as one seventh year Slytherin and a fifth year Ravenclaw dueled—or rather, the Slytherin hexed the unsuspecting Ravenclaw when the unfortunate boy's back was turned. It hadn't been planned of course, but a lazy autumn day of being cooped up in classes had left the Slytherin feeling quite bored and in need of entertainment in whatever form he could get. He felt that his status as Slytherin beater gave him the right to practice on inferior students, especially one Anthony Towler, quite a nerdy little bookworm that found himself generally friendless save for his books. When one has no pals to stand up for them, they are easy targets, especially when they have no idea they are about to be hexed. Well, at least that was Kadmus Harper's philosophy.

"Mr. Harper!" Of course, it never failed that some staff member was there to witness his little fun, and this time he knew it would be hopeless to even fathom an escape from punishment, as the Head of Ravenclaw House was approaching him with a cross expression. Her blonde hair reached just past her chin, but as usual her trademark hat was perched atop her head. She was undeniably a very attractive woman in her late twenties, and her Divination classes were considered much better than Trelawney's had been before her arrival at Hogwarts as a professor. At the moment, however, she seemed to be in a far from pleasant mood. "Mr. Harper, what is the meaning of this?"

"Well you see Professor Kimboll, I was just minding my own business when young Anderson here—"

"Anthony!" piped up Towler, now standing and rubbing a sore arm.

"Whatever. Anthony said he wanted to duel, and I said no at first because dueling is against school rules, but—"

"That's a lie! You attacked me out of the blue!"

"As I said, _whatever_. I just think you should know that it isn't my fault, Professor—"

"Twenty-five points from Slytherin for attacking another student, ten points from Slytherin for lying and you'll be suspended from the first Quidditch match, Mr. Harper." Her face was unusually cross, especially since Professor Kimboll was usually a shy woman that kept to herself. However, she turned her attention toward her student. "Mr. Towler, are you okay?"

"You can't suspend me from the next Quidditch match!" barked Harper, furious at his punishment.

"Yes, I can. Perhaps you'll think twice before attacking a student again, Mr. Harper." She continued to tend to her student, doing her best to ignore Harper's anger. She was tired of the Slytherins always getting away with breaking the rules. They would be given detention, Quidditch suspensions, and have points take away, but none of those methods were effective on their behavioral problems because the Head of Slytherin House always found an excuse for them and revoked their punishments. Well, not that time. Harper had pushed it too far by attacking a student while his back was turned.

"Oh come now Professor," rang a new voice through the entrance hall as Theodore Nott, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Head of Slytherin House approached the three. "That's a bit harsh now, isn't it? Especially since there will be no time to prepare a new beater for the position. It's not fair to make the entire team suffer for the rest of the year because of one match and one petty little incident."

Professor Kimboll glanced up at him, furious that he was suggesting once again that his student be let off easy for the good of the team. However, there was something about Nott's presence that made her uncomfortable, even somewhat frightened. He was very intimidating for all the professors, especially given his history. Nott's father had been a Death Eater that was arrested while he was in school. Even though Edward Nott died in Azkaban, Theodore was rumored to have been a Death Eater as well. The war against Voldemort had ended ten years earlier, but the fear associated with the Death Eaters would never disappear from the hearts of wizarding society. She hated being around him and she did her best to avoid him whenever she could without being unprofessional (though some of the staff weren't concerned at all about being professional when it came to him). "He needs to have some punishment for attacking a student so that he can learn his lesson, Professor!"

"Mariana," he said, using her first name in an almost mocking manner. "I had no idea that the Ravenclaw Quidditch team was so intimidated by Slytherin. Really, this is most flattering, but we'll just stick with the House points deduction. Mr. Harper knows not to behave the way he did again, and I'll even have a talk with him to make sure he understands our point on the matter."

She hardly knew what to say, as she was extremely angry but even more uncomfortable to have such a conversation with the son of a convicted Death Eater and known supporter of pureblood supremacy. As Nott started to walk away with Harper, she called out to them. "This has nothing to do with Quidditch! That's not a good enough punishment for what he did, Professor and you know it. Instead of the Quidditch suspension, he can have a week of detention—with me, so I can make sure he's working."

"Since you're so persistent, I suppose that will be fine, Mariana. Mr. Harper, you are to report to Professor Kimboll's office every evening for a week after Quidditch practice to serve your detentions." His words dripped with sarcasm and mock agreement, and he nudged Harper to cue him to leave before there was any more trouble. Approaching Kimboll and Towler, his sneer was plain on his face, his soft brown eyes showing some irritation. "I apologize for the actions of my student, Mr. Towler and Professor Kimboll. Hopefully something like this should never happen again." With those words, he turned and made his way back toward the Grand Staircase, headed toward his office.

As Mariana ensured that Anthony was not hurt, she couldn't help but feel a great sense of relief that Nott had left her alone. Being a Muggle born, she bore a great dislike for someone like him—he had been the typical, arrogant pureblooded brat that resided in Slytherin house even when she was in school. Though they were the same age, they had had very different stories. They had never had any experiences with one another, but she had been aware of who he was, especially since it was during the second war with Voldemort. Graduating two years ahead of Harry Potter, she had found a job in the Ministry that very summer. Of course, at the height of the second war, she was forced to hide before she was discovered as a Muggle born. Being anything other than a pureblood during those dark times meant death, after all. A few years after the war was over and Voldemort was defeated, however, she sought a position at Hogwarts and became the new Divination professor with the retirement of Trelawney. However, her teaching method was much different and more practical, as she had never really found much sense in the way Trelawney had taught the course during her days as a student. Though an incredibly kind woman well-liked by most students and her fellow staff members, Mariana wasn't immediately perfect and popular. She had her odd tendencies, and most did find her to be a bit peculiar at times.

Theodore Nott's story was a bit more complicated. He was born to a pair of pureblood parents from some of the "best" wizarding families, but his mother died when he was only three. His Death Eater father was imprisoned in Azkaban when he was seventeen, and Theodore had somewhat followed the doctrine he had been taught to believe. Mudbloods, half-bloods and blood traitors were all bad, and needed to be removed (or so his family said). He had never joined the Death Eaters, being smart enough to see his father going to prison for his actions and wanting to avoid such a fate for himself, but he had spent time with Death Eaters that were family friends. Even at the height of the war and his first year out of school, he refused to be branded and insisted that he could be of more help to the Death Eaters without a Dark Mark. He was glad that he hadn't been marked after Voldemort's defeat, and he started to find odd jobs to keep him occupied. His family was wealthy enough that he should never have had to work, but it was dull having nothing to do all day long. When he was twenty-three, his father died and left him with a rather large inheritance, a small portion of which he squandered away in a few years of immaturity. By the time he was twenty five, he heard about the opening of a position at Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. After having spent two years of drinking and partying, he was ready to settle into a more routine lifestyle. Though his Gringotts account was still filled, he no longer had been having fun living the sort of life he had enjoyed. His friends were all getting married and starting families, and while he was still a bachelor with no intentions whatsoever of ever getting married or having children, he felt that teaching would be the ideal job. At Hogwarts, he found that very few members of the staff trusted him. Some of the older professors who had taught him seemed to have a bit more tolerance for him, but he made no bonds with any of his colleagues. After a year as a professor, he was made Head of Slytherin House, and his reputation among the staff quickly became worse. Now twenty-eight, he didn't see matters improving any time in the near future, and he had lost his capacity to care.

Despite his preference to being a loner in his office with a plentiful goblet of firewhiskey as he graded papers, Kadmus Harper's whining about the detention compelled Nott to drop by Kimboll's office to ensure that the detention was not too harsh. Of course, he would be a liar to say he wasn't curious to see if Kimboll would still seem as nervous in his presence as usual, or to say that he didn't find some enjoyment in making some colleagues in particular intimidated. It wasn't out of hatred, but more of a feeling of amusement.

After climbing the stairs to the Divination tower, he knocked on Professor Kimboll's door once before opening it to see Kadmus Harper hard at work polishing crystal balls—and to add insult to injury, with a rag instead of by magic. Across the room at her desk, Mariana Kimboll sat grading papers. "Wouldn't it have been easier to simply do that yourself with a flick of your wand, Mariana?" sneered Nott as he walked in and caught her by surprise. He picked up a dusty crystal ball and waved his wand, making the crystal sparkle within a second. "See? Much more effective than using a rag, too."

"P-Professor Nott!" she exclaimed, partially seeming surprised and partially angry. "Please leave that work to Mr. Harper, and that is the point in a punishment!" Really, she thought to herself. He has some nerve to just barge in like that and interfere with a well-deserved punishment, the arrogant prat!

_My god…_ thought Nott to himself. _Have her eyes always been that gorgeous?_ "It's just one crystal ball, Mariana," he smirked, taking a seat in front of her desk and turning to watch Harper work. "How did Quidditch practice go today, Kadmus?"

"It was fine. Steven was awesome with the Snitch, but Grogan accidentally hit Strout with a bludger and now she's in the hospital wing with a broken shoulder. Madam Pomfrey is fixing it up, but the bruising is still pretty bad. She got knocked clean off her broom and fell thirty feet. Luckily it's muddy outside and it wasn't a hard fall."

"That's awful. Why didn't anyone catch her or at least use a spell to keep her from hitting the ground. After falling thirty feet, she could have been killed. You would have had plenty of time to do something!"

"I was handling the Quaffle at the time—"

"Forget the Quaffle, Kadmus! It was a bloody practice, not a match."

"Mr. Harper," interrupted Kimboll, looking a little cross about the argument. "You're free to go. It's been an hour and a half. Be back at the same time tomorrow, with no excuses."

Nott turned and for the first time in his years at Hogwarts, he took a good look at Mariana Kimboll. _What's different about her? _he wondered to himself. _Surely I would have noticed her beauty years before._ Of course, perhaps he hadn't ever really paid her much attention. She was a little bit like him, really, seeming to be more of a loner than a socialite. Still, he knew that she hated him and she feared him. "Mariana, I would just like to apologize for my student's behavior earlier," he said just after Harper left the room, looking extremely relieved for his detention to be over. "And that you were right to punish him. I hope that Anthony Towler is doing okay after that little incident." He hated having to admit it, but he couldn't bring himself to antagonize her further. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so interested in her—they had known each other for years without him ever even taking notice of her other than to know her name, that she was the Divination teacher and that she was Head of Ravenclaw House. He'd barely even spoken directly to her in his years as a teacher.

Mariana looked slightly taken aback, but she only glanced at Theodore for a moment before nodding slightly. She could barely look him in the eye, and she wanted nothing more than for him to leave her alone. Still, she couldn't bring herself to be rude, especially since he was being so oddly nice and pleasant. She'd never seen that side of him for as long as she had known him. "Well, t-thank you, Professor. Er, Anthony is fine. Just a bit shaken up, I suppose. No injuries." She glanced up from her desk and noting that he didn't seem like he was about to leave, she sighed. It would be so rude of her to ask him to leave…

Theodore grinned, noting that she seemed a bit uncomfortable in his presence. He didn't want to be cruel, but he had a sudden urge to get to know her better, whether she liked it or not. "Mariana, would you like a drink, by any chance?"

She looked up at him for a moment before answering. She had never really tried many alcoholic drinks, but she was partial to wine, which she always kept plenty of in her office. "I suppose so. I have wine, if you would like—"

"Actually, I had something a little different in mind," he said with a kind smile, flicking his wand to summon two glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey from his office several floors down—his favorite drink. He poured them each a glass, and handed her one. "Here, just try it. If you don't like it, you don't have to drink it." He grinned, taking a sip of the hot liquid and waiting for her to do the same.

She seemed a little hesitant, but one sip out of politeness was followed by a second, a third and so on. The two started to open up with casual conversations, and as one glass led to another and another, they seemed to forget that they had been very cold to one another and had even disliked each other only a few hours before. Theodore was fun and interesting, and Mariana was extremely sweet and funny. He was hooked, and was sure that a good friendship would bloom from that evening. He absolutely adored everything about her, and she couldn't help but become more interested in him, completely forgetting his past and what he was accused of.

They talked longer into the night, with Theodore eventually retreating to his office, though slightly regretful of having to end the evening. It was a school night, however, and they both had to teach in the morning. Bidding her good night, he had left her office happier than he had been in a long time, and with the promise of a new friendship on his mind.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Yay chapter two! xD The world of Harry Potter is © JK Rowling, as always.**

As the sun started to rise the next morning, Theodore Nott stretched before curling up under the covers of his bed. His head felt a little painful from the amount of firewhiskey he had downed the night before, but he was mostly used to drinking and it was by no means a bad hangover. Of course, it seemed more difficult than usual to force himself out of bed, but as time slowly started to tick by, he forced himself to get up and get ready for the day ahead. No matter how hard he searched around his room, his wand was nowhere to be found, and he was left to assume that the wand was lying on Mariana Kimboll's desk. "Damnit…" he groaned, wishing that he could have just summoned the wand instead of climbing the stairs to retrieve it. The only problem was that he needed a wand so summon his wand…

Breakfast was already starting by the time he reached her room, but he knew she had yet to leave as he hadn't seen her. He knocked gently on the door, but was met by no response. "Mariana? It's Theodore Nott. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm afraid I've left my wand in your office. Mariana?" He thought he heard some commotion inside, and upon realizing that the door was unlocked, he let himself in. Glancing around her messy office (though this was no oddity, as her office was always out of order, which was completely opposite of his nearly obsessively clean office), he saw her lying on the couch in the middle of the room, her head hanging over the side into a waste bin. She looked positively mortified that Nott was standing there, but he quickly snatched his wand off of her desk and cleaned up the waste bin as he kneeled down beside the couch, worry plain on his face. It was what he would call a pretty rotten hangover, and it was all his fault that she wasn't feeling well… "Mariana, are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything?"

She shook her head, waving him away. "No, I'm fine, just leave me alone…" she groaned, clearly not wanting company.

He shook his head, glancing at the clock. He had over an hour until his first class, and he wasn't about to leave her alone when she was sick. "I'll be right back," he explained, and disappeared.

Just as he had said, he returned five minutes later bearing a tray, which he set on the coffee table in front of the couch. Handing her a vial of liquid, he told her, "Drink this. It's from Madam Pomfrey, to get rid of your headache."

"Theodore, what in the world—Wait, how did you know I've got a headache?"

"Never mind that. Just take it." After she did what she was told, he handed her a glass of orange juice from the tray. "And fruit juice is good, but Vitamin C is even better for hangovers, so here's orange juice. And if it is too sweet, I've brought a glass of water. Oh, and you should eat a piece of toast," he explained, sitting her up and taking a seat on the couch before laying her back down across his lap, his arms wrapped around her for comfort. "You should get some rest, too. I'm here if you need anything."

"I've got to tell the headmaster to get a substitute for my morning class—"

"I've already told him that you're ill. It's taken care of."

"Why are you doing all of this for me?" she asked him, looking up at him with a curious expression. "We'd barely even spoken to each other before last night."

"I suppose I know exactly what a hangover feels like. I've had lots of them."

"I've had hangover before too, though… I can take care of myself. You really should go. I appreciate all this and everything, but—"

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm the one that suggested we have a drink last night, and you can't deny that it's nice to have someone helping you out when you've got a hangover." Just as he spoke, she leaned over again to vomit into the waste bin, and he brushed her hair out of her face as she did so. Once the wave had passed, he cleaned out the bin again with a flick of the wand. "Seriously, you should eat that piece of toast."

"Listen, Theodore, I really can take care of myself. I'm a grown woman and this isn't my first hangover. Please, I appreciate the notion, but I think you should leave." She absolutely mortified that he was there, and while it was sweet that he was nice enough to hold her hair back and bring her breakfast, she couldn't stand for him to see her in such a state.

He gently stroked her arm, completely ignoring her request. "Shh… Just try and get some rest. Then I'll leave." As she dozed off in his arms, he started to realize how lucky he was, and how it was probably the only opportunity he would ever have to hold her in his arms. She was so beautiful, even more so when she was asleep… No, then he couldn't see those eyes of hers. But the simple fact was that she didn't trust him, and she could never care for him.

It had almost been an hour, and Theodore was about to leave to go teach his morning class when Mariana woke up. "You're still here?" she asked, but catching herself as she realized how cross she sounded, she decided to fix that error for the sake of not being rude. "I'm sorry about asking you to leave. I really do appreciate what you've been doing for me, Theodore."

"Don't worry about it. You feeling better?"

"Yes, a bit. I'll probably just get some more rest before my afternoon classes." She sat up and stretched before looking at Theodore. "You've been so much help today. How can I repay your kindness?"

"Lunch. Have lunch with me this Saturday on the Hogsmeade trip."

She laughed slightly before she realized that he was serious—that was really all he wanted? "That sounds perfectly fine with me. So, the Three Broomsticks?"

"Sure. Meet me at noon on Saturday in the Three Broomsticks. I have to go now, but I'll see you then. He failed miserably at hiding his grin as he left the room. Mariana remained on the couch, shaking her head slightly, but there was no denying the smile stretched across her lips as well.

The week moved by as any would, with nothing out of the ordinary taking place within Hogwarts. Saturday arrived with as much anticipation from both students and staff as any, but Theodore Nott was particularly ready for noon of that day. The day couldn't have been more pleasant for late September, and if anything it was slightly warm for Scottish autumns. The sky was clear and blue, without a single cloud in sight, and Hogsmeade was bustling with activity. Nott arrived at the Three Broomsticks at a quarter to noon and sat down at a table by the window, but he didn't have to wait more than five minutes before Mariana's arrival.

She was wearing her favorite ruby red robes, and Nott was once again left questioning how he could have missed her beauty before. Smiling, he bid her sit down with him before asking what she wanted to order.

"Oh, well I suppose a butterbeer," she said, sitting down at the seat across from him. She looked a little nervous, but he simply nodded and approached the front counter.

"Two butterbeers please, Lydia."

The younger barmaid had only been working there for a little over a year and a half under Madam Rosmerta's employment, but she winked at Nott, one of the regulars on Hogsmeade visits. "You got it, Ted."

She handed him the two mugs and he traded for a couple of silver sickles, though Mariana was digging in her purse as he made his way back to the table. "Put those sickles away, Mariana Kimboll. The butterbeer is on me," he said, his voice sounding almost cross as he handed her a mug.

"But I thought I was here to repay your kindness the other day?" she said with a shy smile, her pretty blue eyes glancing up at him from across the table as she took a sip of the butterbeer.

"Are you really just having lunch with me for a payment of a debt?" he asked, seeming somewhat curious.

"Well, I didn't mean it was just that," she added quickly, looking slightly taken aback. "But tell me, Theodore… Why are we suddenly having lunch together?"

"Well, the other day you questioned why I was helping you, as we had barely even spoken before that. And I realized that we hadn't, and even though I've been here for a few years now, we don't even know each other. So, I didn't think it would hurt anything for two colleagues to have lunch together. I had fun the other night, but perhaps next time we should put moderation to practice."

She smiled, shaking her head slightly. "Yes, it was a rather enjoyable evening… But the next morning wasn't so wonderful. Thank you for what you did for me, by the way. And I'm sorry if I said anything rude to you."

"Oh, don't bother to apologize. I can't tell you how many times I've been rudely kicked out of a hungover woman's room in the morning," he joked, his voice slightly sarcastic.

"You scoundrel!" exclaimed Mariana, genuinely laughing for the first time at him. She could hardly believe that she was actually having lunch with Theodore Nott—a convicted Death Eater's son—and on top of that, she was enjoying herself. It seemed so odd now that she thought about it, but perhaps there was something more to him than everyone thought. "Well, since we're here to learn more about each other, why don't you tell me about yourself? For being colleagues for several years now, I don't think we know the slightest bit about one another."

Theodore nodded his head, his lips tugging slightly upward into a warm smile. "Well, first of all, I have only been kicked out of a hungover woman's room once, and that was with you the other day. At least I don't remember if it's ever happened before," he began, hoping to add some levity to the conversation and clarify that he wasn't as irresponsible as she probably thought he was. "But I don't think I'm really all that interesting. I was raised pretty normal for a wizard, you see. My mum died when I was three, though, and Dad worked all the time at the Ministry. I always thought it was to forget about her, since he was never home. My childhood was just really normal and mundane, then I went to Hogwarts. Hogwarts was pretty much the same. I was sorted into Slytherin with the rest of my family and I started playing Quidditch in my third year. You've probably already been told this by the rest of the staff, but my dad went to Azkaban because he was a Death Eater. And yes, that is true. My dad was very loyal to You-Know-Who, as was the rest of my family. Personally, I never saw the point in the 'noble cause,' but I never said anything to him. He died just a few years later, and after that I had my fun before hearing about a job at Hogwarts, and I decided to go for it. And the rest you already know. But I'm boring—tell me about you instead."

She paused, her eyes having dropped since the mention of his father being a Death Eater. _Theodore doesn't believe in pureblood supremacy? _she wondered to herself. _But how does he not, when everyone says he was a Death Eater too?_ Mariana couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at his words, if he really was telling the truth. "Well, I think I had a very normal upbringing myself, until I got my Hogwarts letter soon after I turned eleven."

"You didn't know you were a witch?" Theodore asked, confused. How could she have not known?

"I'm a Muggle born. I had no idea the wizarding world even existed."

"Oh."

"Is that a problem?" she asked, her tone slightly harsh. Of course, she wasn't to be blamed for such a tone with a man like Nott, given his history.

Theodore paused a moment, then his warm smile returned. "No, of course it isn't a problem, Mariana."

She regretted the tone she had used with him, but instead decided to continue on. "So yes, I was raised by Muggles the Muggle way, went to Muggle school and suddenly everything was turned upside down."

"My god that must have been exciting! I can imagine not learning about magic until you are older would make you a little more appreciative. You've done things the Muggle way, where those of us born into wizarding families have been somewhat spoiled all our lives."

"Yes, well it was really exciting, and it does make magic seem a lot nicer, though I suppose that after all these years I have gotten used to it. It was a little overwhelming and scary, too. On the other hand, I think it may be nicer to be raised with magic so there isn't so much to learn all at once about an entirely different world. One day you are making the bed and doing the chores by hand, and the next you discover that you are a part of a world isolated from the only one you've ever known. Besides that, you have to live between both worlds when you have Muggle parents. Still, I wouldn't trade my Muggle family for any wizarding one."

"Funny you say that, when I sometimes think I would trade my wizarding family for any other," joked Theodore.

Mariana smiled before continuing. "Well, so I came to Hogwarts that fall after I got my letter, and it was amazing. I was sorted into Ravenclaw, but I really only had a few friends within Ravenclaw. I didn't play Quidditch or anything, so I don't suppose I stood out very much. After Hogwarts, I got a job in the Ministry, but my second year there turned out to be too dangerous with the war and I quit. A little while after the war was over, I started teaching here at Hogwarts. So you see, there's not much more to my story than to yours."

"Well there we go—two boring people having a drink together." Both laughed, but Theodore couldn't help but notice how pretty she was when she smiled, and Mariana even noticed that he was quite an easy man on the eyes now that she took a good look at him. The two talked for a while, just swapping small talk and tales of students' mistakes, rule breaking and absurdities. Eventually it started to get later in the afternoon, and when it was time to escort the students back to the school, they left together and got a carriage together. For a few moments on the ride back to Hogwarts, they had remained silent, until Mariana spoke.

"So what now, Theodore? Now that my debt to you has been repaid, is that all you wanted? Just a day of lunch?"

"Is that what you think? Mariana, I—I want this to be the beginning of a new friendship. I've really enjoyed your company lately, and it made me realize how lonely I actually am at Hogwarts. Please, all I ask for is your friendship. Unless that isn't what you want, of course." Oh, how he wanted to add that he was beginning to want more than friendship, but they simply weren't meant for one another. Not with his family and the fact that they were colleagues… It would just be too complicated, no matter what he thought about her. Unless there was some way to make it work—if she only felt the same for him, it would all be worth it. He tried to tell himself that it was nonsense. They barely knew each other, and he shouldn't have been having any feelings whatsoever for her. Love at first sight was for fairytales, not for him. _You don't even know her well enough to love her, Theodore!_

Mariana had paused to consider his words. All he wanted was friendship? She couldn't see what it could hurt. After all, he had been fun to talk to, no matter how slow she was to admit it. He was definitely not what everyone said he was, so why not? "I'd like that, Teddy."

He had been glancing out the window of the carriage when she said it. _Teddy._ He had never allowed anyone to call him Teddy throughout his life—if anyone dared, he always corrected them. It was either Theodore or Ted, but not Teddy. However, when she said it, there was something different about the name. Was it her voice alone that made the nickname more appealing, or would he have felt the same way about any other nickname? Whatever it was that possessed him, he didn't correct her. Instead, he found himself falling faster for her, and he was sure that she wasn't feeling the way he was. However, as the temperature outside had dropped quickly since their departure that morning, he noticed her shiver slightly and he decided to take advantage of an opportunity he would have kicked himself later for passing up. "Are you chilly?" With her nod, he took his cue. Slowly he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her slightly closer to him for the warmth. It just felt so… Right.

Once the carriages arrived at Hogwarts and all the students had been ushered inside, they walked together toward their offices, not separating until reaching the third floor of the Grand Staircase, where they were to go their own separate ways.

Mariana smiled before bidding him good night. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch with you. I really had fun today, Teddy."

"It's no problem. I was happy to spend the day with you. Well, we should talk again. As friends, you know. Maybe next week when we're not busy?"

"That sounds wonderful. Good night."

"Good night, Mariana."


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Here comes chapter three! The story is starting to move along… But there's so much longer to go! Dx The world of Harry Potter is © JK Rowling and I thank her so much for it.**

It was odd how quickly time passed when one had something to look forward to, and Theodore Nott had already seemed to have an enormous change in personality. He had gone from being the serious, down to earth loner to someone who was cheerful, a little bit more lax with grades (though to the students' dismay, not _that_ much laxer). He had never felt happier than he did when he was with Mariana Kimboll, and their friendship had meant the world to him. Though he had never been extremely prejudice against Muggle borns, he had been raised on the notion that Muggle borns were not worthy of his time or attention and that he was much better than him. For the first two decades of his life, he had listened to his father, but after being out on his own, his prejudice lessened, and after learning that Mariana was a Muggle born, he lost all discriminatory thoughts on the matter of blood purity. She was no less a wonderful woman than the purest witch from the most ancient and noble pureblood line—in fact, judging by the pureblooded company he had experienced in his youth, she was much better that any of them. She was kind and sweet, understanding, and modest. He watched slowly as he began to chip away the barrier of her coyness in his presence, and slowly she began to teach him what he really needed to know about the wizarding world that he hadn't learned from his sheltered youth.

In the other perspective, Mariana couldn't help but admit that Theodore brightened her day just as much as she did his. He had proven to be funny, attractive, and intelligent, and she learned to trust him and put aside the bad rumors that accompanied his reputation. He was no more a Death Eater than she was, and as she learned that even pureblood elitists can turn out to be fine citizens, she was able to take another view on the wizarding world. It wasn't that she had ever been particularly pessimistic, since she was in fact a normally very cheerful person that preferred to look on the bright side of things. However, after growing up as a Muggle born and actually experiencing the prejudice and bigotry associated with the pureblood elitist families, she had a hard time coming to trust anyone that she had known or knew to be like that. In all honesty, the Theodore that had gone to Hogwarts as a Slytherin student had been a very different person. If Theodore didn't look nearly the same as he had in those days, she would have been convinced that they were two different people of the same name, for she remembered when he had bullied and taunted students from the other houses with his sometimes-mates Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Now that the two were able to put differences aside, it seemed to be a match made in heaven. Theodore was often climbing the stairs to the Divination tower, and when he wasn't doing that Mariana was descending the Grand Staircase to the third floor where Defense Against the Dark Arts was held, and Theodore's office was located. The messy retreat of Mariana's office and the spotless and well organized Nott's office were all that was needed for a little conversation, a glass of wine or a mug of butterbeer, and one another's company. As the days and weeks went on and Theodore began to become much surer of himself, he came to realize and he allowed himself to realize that he felt much more than friendship for Mariana. He was in love, and no one was going to tell him any different. He had stopped trying to convince himself that it was foolish and insincere feelings, because he knew them to be different. He cared about Mariana more than anything in the world, and even if she didn't feel the same way, nothing could stop those feelings. This he knew with all his heart!

Of course, _knowing_ something and _expressing_ it were two very different matters. He couldn't easily forgo the fact that he was afraid to find out that she felt only friendship for him, though he eventually reached the point that he had to know either way. The only way to find out was to express his emotions and hope she agreed. He hadn't decided on a set time when he would say it, but he was instead waiting on the opportune moment.

It was a fine mid-November evening that Theodore climbed the stairs to the Divination tower and entered Mariana's office, where she seemed to have been waiting on him. It took no time at all for her to retrieve two wine glasses and a fine bottle of imported French wine.

"I had hoped you were coming, since it is a Friday night, Teddy."

"I wouldn't have missed one of our evenings for the world, Mariana," Teddy grinned, taking a seat on the couch. "No, I just went down to the Quidditch pitch to watch the practice and give a few tips that I'm sure they didn't appreciate. No matter how old they think I am, I can still remember some of the better plays we had used when I was on the team. Ah, but what do adults know?"

"Oh, absolutely nothing!" she joked, handing him a glass of wine and taking her seat next to him on the couch. "I had a teacher once in primary school that used to tell us over and over that he may have been born at night, but he wasn't born last night. As much as I hated hearing that then, I can't tell you how many times as a teacher I've wanted to say it. I'll still refrain from using that, though." She laughed, glancing at him and taking a sip of wine. "But how did practice go? Strout is back at it again, isn't she?"

"Well, firstly I'm sure that your students appreciate your not using that phrase, and secondly practice went very well. I'm impressed with how far they've come since the first practice of the season, no matter how much I wish they'd listen to me. And yes, Strout is back at practice, so that makes me feel a lot better about Slytherin's first match. How's the Ravenclaw Quidditch team coming along? From what I've been told, they're going to be a formidable team this year. We'll see whether brawn or brains wins out in the end, no? I can't wait until Ravenclaw plays Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Oh, Ravenclaw is doing very well! I don't really know that much about coaching Quidditch players, but I've watched them and I think they are going to play really well this year. That Alex Chang is really a talented player."

"Yeah, she's beater again this year, right?"

"Yes. I think she is going to be able to play professionally when she gets out of school if she wants to."

"She was really good last year as a third year. I can't wait to see her performance this year. Fourth years always show a lot more development from the past, but it will be fifth and sixth years where she'll see the most improvement and refinement. Her strength with Ravenclaw's strategy is going to make the team hard to beat in her later years if not this year already. Oh, and is she really dating Anthony Towler? I love that kid, Mariana, I really do—but you've got to admit he's a bit of a nerd. Of course, I just wish all my students were like that in the classroom."

"Yes, I think Alex and Anthony are dating. The more you get to know them, the more alike they are, I suppose. Anthony's changed a lot, though. He used to spend a lot of time alone, and it really seems like Alex has gotten him to come out of his shell. He's good for her, too, though."

Nott smiled warmly, knowing just how Towler felt. Mariana had done the same thing for him, really, and he hoped that just as with Chang and Towler, he was good for Mariana too. He hadn't meant to say it then, but the words had blurted from his lips before he even had the chance to think about it and consider his choice of words. "I love you, Mariana." It was so simple, yet after he said it he almost clapped his hand to his mouth out of shock. Had he said it aloud? Judging by the sound of the shattering wine glass on the floor, his words had been as much of a shock to her to hear as they had been to him to say. "Mariana, are you okay?!" he began, worried. Was she angry? Was she happy? Was she upset? Was it something entirely different from that?

"W-what?" she stuttered, looking back and forth from him to the shattered glass.

"I love you, Mariana. I'm sorry—I didn't mean to say it so soon, but now that I've said it you should know. If you don't feel the same way—"

"Teddy, I-I…" She couldn't find the words. If only they would come to her lips, and she could finally end the awkwardness of the moment. "I love you, too. I've been too afraid to say it…"

She hardly could finish the sentence before he had pressed his lips to hers, pulling away moment later. "Mariana, I apologize. I'm just so happy to hear that you feel the same way about me." He glanced down at the glass before flicking his wand and fixing the mess, handing it back to her.

She set it down on the coffee table in front of the couch and turned to look back at him. "Yes, I do feel the same way. I just haven't known how to say it or if you even could think about me as more than a friend. And it is just so soon, I wasn't sure what to think. I've never fallen this quickly in my life."

"I haven't either, but maybe that's telling us something. I love you, Mariana Kimboll, and I've known it for a while now." All the while they had been inching closer together, and finally he pressed his lips again to hers, this time in a much longer kiss that lasted until they both pulled apart, their faces remaining inches from each other as warm smiles tugged at the corners of both their mouths. As he wrapped an arm around her and she slowly leaned her weight on him, as if shyly trying to figure out what to do with herself, Theodore spoke again. "You're okay, right? That glass didn't cut you or anything, did it?"

"No, I'm fine, Teddy. Thank you for fixing it—I was just shocked and that was the last thing I expected to come out of your mouth."

"I didn't really expect it, either. I just sort of blurted out my thoughts without thinking…" _Teddy._ The name he had once despised and constantly corrected had become something he loved to hear—only from Mariana's lips, of course. "Teddy" was still off limits to everyone else, but it made the nickname something very special to him when she said it. He adored it coming from Mariana Kimboll. But then again, was there anything that he didn't adore about her? On the spot, he couldn't think of anything, not even her messy office. She was much more laid back about it than he was, and he realized that he was uptight when it came to doing his job. It didn't make him any better or worse than any other teacher, as it only added stress that came with being anal about the issue.

"Well, I'm glad you did."

"Me too, Mariana. Me too."

"So, what now?"

"Well, why don't I start off properly by asking you the question that I think is on both our minds, though I was never any good at Divination. Will you date me?" He chuckled slightly, but he was completely serious in his inquiry.

"Yes," she laughed, hugging him slightly as a smile spread wide across her lips. Though they sat for a few moments in silence, there was no denying that the room felt different. It was the same room as the one where they had first sat down, the furniture was still arranged exactly the same, and the light still poured in from the windows just as it had done all afternoon. However, there was a sense of relief and a sense of comfort that engulfed the pair, and words did not need to be spoken for they could both feel it. Perhaps it was that they found comfort in the presence of the other, and in the other's absence the room would return to its normal properties, but Theodore felt sure that the entire world had suddenly shifted and that every room, every corridor, every town and every city had changed. It was such an enormous difference that it was almost surprising how just through the window, students could be seen lazing around the grounds by the lake, completely oblivious to the fact that the world had been turned upside down. _How can they not feel the change?_ he wondered, but continued in his thoughts to question whether or not all couples had felt their worlds shift in a completely different direction as his had just done. The silence was finally broken, but by the one voice he had found himself wanting to hear over and over through the weeks. "Is it wrong, Teddy?"

"Huh—Is what wrong?" What was she feeling? Was she unsure of her feelings, or had her world not just felt a jolt as well?

Truth be told, Mariana was feeling the same way. Overwhelmed by emotion, she was unsure of what to think, but she noticed a change. Everything was warmer, though a comforting warmth. Or was she just blushing? A soft hand moved to rest for a moment on her cheek, finding it no higher in temperature than the rest of her. It had to be emotion. There was no other explanation for the security she suddenly felt, or the incredible joy that was too big for words. In fact, there was only word that even came close to describing her feelings, and it was love. Had there been any stronger word in the English language, that would be the word, but the right word did not exist. The connection between them seemed so strong, however, that it was almost frightening. She was falling too hard too fast, and she couldn't help but wonder if true love at first sight did exist for her.

"Is it wrong for us to be together, as colleagues?"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with two people being in love. We just have to make an agreement. If anything should go wrong—and I mean absolutely anything, no matter who is at fault—we have to maintain a professional relationship. That way, there can be no problems with it." He paused before continuing, glancing up at her beautiful features. "You having second thoughts already?"

"No, no! No, I'm not having second thoughts. I just wondered if we shouldn't be… I don't know. Never mind, Teddy. You're right about the agreement. I promise that I won't let anything— should something come between us—stand in the way of our professional relationship. Plus, we should also keep our private relationship, well… Private. That way, the students won't know. At least not right away."

"I agree with you there. So, private means our offices, right?"

"Right," she said, giggling slightly at his question.

"So this isn't off limits in our offices, right?" he asked, but before she had the chance to answer, his lips were pressed to hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her by the waist until they pulled apart.

"Right," she laughed, hugging him closer with a wide smile.


End file.
